I still think, though, the donations button is the same thing with none of the fuss.

One advantage of patreon is, I assume, that it more/less guarantees continued support. You pledge to pay $X for Y output. Whether that's pages written, books published, stories posted, whatever. You set up automatic payments, when the bargin is fulfilled, the money is withdrawn from your account and placed in his.

People like automatic things. Psycologically speaking, spending money is difficult, and the less you have to think about it, the less interaction you have with the money leaving your hand, the easier it is to do.

The disadvantage, I'm sure, is that the website takes a cut. It might also set a brutal pace, or be entirely unsustainable. It may encourage sub-par work, etc.

I think its a clever system, but its a pretty steep hurdle to get people to sign up. A lot of people giving a small amount for small things will add up, or a few people paying a lot, but its a pretty altruistic system, and I'm not sure the current fanbase, rich and handsome of they may be, would make this type of thing worthwhile.